Winston’s On The Move

For those of you that know Mary and I personally, you probably know us as the folks who ran a little bike shop in Louisville, KY.  We stepped in a year and a half ago, after the original management just couldn’t get it rolling.  Not knowing exactly what we were in for, we dove head-first into turning it around.  The shop was barely a year old, and in a market as tough as Louisville was really struggling.  The wrong products, the wrong image, poor service, and just the wrong experience.  It was time for a change.  Enter MCC and AMH (yeah, I hate having my picture taken…):

Mary and I both ride nearly every kind of bike, and race or have raced on the road, cyclocross, and mountain biking, so we really wanted to round out what the shop had to offer.  Our biggest asset was our teamwork in running the shop, with my technical skills and knowledge, and Mary’s super-sales-skills and organisational prowess.  We added more cyclocross products, the right mountain bike parts, and always had the latest goodies for folks.  All in all, we took the shop from a dark, failing shop, to one that has a great positive image, is very active in the community, and a place that just “gets it.”  As of last week, we both stepped down from our posts, and have handed over the reigns to two great folks.  It was bittersweet because we were stepping away before the shop had fully blossomed, but we were taking steps to grow for ourselves.  We wish them the best of luck, and hope that the shop can continue to grow and succeed.

We returned home last week, and are in the process of relaunching ourselves.  I have returned to spinning wrenches at my home shop, and devoting more time to growing Winston’s Brand.  I will also be returning to school in the Fall to give me a few more weapons in the arsenal.  I initially found it to be a step backwards, but I now know that sometimes taking a step back lets you see the larger picture that really matters.  Mary is headed back to school in the Fall too, but for now, she is going to be working with a great web-development firm, and doing some writing.  We are lucky enough to be staying in a great place, with more room for all of our pursuits.  Winston’s Brand can now move out of our kitchen.  I hope to bring more products to the table, and get Winston’s in the hands of riders everywhere.

Living in Louisville treated us to a range of experiences, many of them positive, some of them not, but I feel like we both grew and learned a lot about what we could do, and how to get through anything.  We left behind a small group of great friends, and a growing cycling community, that I hope we helped improve.  Because we are still in the Midwest, we’ll still be in a larger regional racing community, and hope we can catch up with everyone this season.  (You can look for the WinstonMobile at races near you)

We appreciate all your support, as Winston’s Brand couldn’t have grown without you (you know who you are).